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Armour Square Cornells
The Armour Square Cornells was one of the top amateur teams in Chicago from 1912 to the mid-1920s, winning two national AAU titles in 1913 and 1914. The team originally was formed as a representative of the Armour Square Park, and Albert Pressler, while still attending Phillips High was playing for the Armour Square lightweight (135 pound) team in 1908. Armour Square as a park district team in 1911 competed with a lineup that included two future stars--center Fred C. Kohfeldt and guard Harold Frieling. The next year the Armour Square Cornells could be said to be founded, but as the Armour Square Hamburgs. The team was led by two brothers, forward Albert Pressler and guard William C. Pressler, along with center Fred C. Kohfeldt, forward William L. Johnson, and guard Harry Frieling. With the name change to the Armour Square Cornells in 1913, the team came into championship form with their classic lineup of of the Pressler brothers, Frieling, Johnson, Kohfeldt, and center William Feeney. The team took the heavyweight title in the Central AAU tournament in 1913, and went on to take the national title at the International Games, held in Grant Park, Chicago, in early July, beating the Hull House team in the semifinals and the Quincy Athletic Association team from Massachusetts, 27-2, in the finals. The Cornells was not allowed to participate in the 1914 Central AAU tournament in February because the team was suspended for using William L. Johnson, who had been found to have been playing semi-pro baseball. But the team was allowed to compete in the national tournament in April, held at the Illinois Athletic Club in Chicago, and won it easily, beating the St. John’s Athletic Club, 69-13, in the semifinals, and the Young Men’s Club of the Olivet Methodist Episcopal Church, 82 to 25, in the finals. In 1915, the Armour Square Cornells team was taken over by the Illinois Athletic Club (IAC), and proceeded to take the next four Central AAU championships, with such core players as the Pressler brothers, Harry Frieling, William Feeney, and Fred C. Kohfeldt. In 1916 the IAC took second in the national meet and in 1917 took the championship.In December 1917, just months after winning the AAU tourney, the Illinois Athletic Club dropped its sponsorship of Pressler's team, over issues of professionalism and loss of players due to World War I. Presser with several of his old teammates formed a professional team, the Whiting Owls, followed by another pro team, the Chicago Big Five. Another Armour Square Cornells team came to the forefront in the early 1920s, when it took the lightweight (135 pound) title in the Central AAU meet in 1921 and 1922. The heavyweight team at this time was being coached by Albert Pressler, but it was unsuccessful in the Cental AAU tournment, losing in the first round in 1922, for example. In 1923, the Armour Square heavyweight team with a bit more experience took the Central AAU title, beating the Forges Post Team, 17-14 in the title game. Players on this team included such names as Driggett, Pierson, Smith, Dillon, Sincere, and Bennett. The heavyweight team repeated its success in 1924. Armour Square also experienced success with its lightweight team, the name “Armour Square Lightnings,” taking the Central AAU title in 1924. In 1925, the Armour Square Cornells no longer participated in the Central AAU tournament.